mecalux best practices magazine 01 - english

1r Quarter - Year 2016 - No. 1

Cases StudiesBenco Dental / DAFSA / DHL / Gioseppo / Havi LogisticsHayat Kimya / Hemosa / Hepco Motion / Iron Mountain / Luis SimesMGA / Nufri / PAVI-Groupauto / Takeda / Yp / Zbyszko

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7979Index13 HAYAT KIMYAOne of the tallest warehouses in Europe in an earthquake prone zone in Turkey.

29 GIOSEPPOAutomated cladrack warehouse with a capacity of two million pairs of shoes.

41 YPHighrise warehouse with massive picking area for the Brazilian company Yp.

49 TAKEDAAlmacn automtico llave en mano para el gigante farmacutico japons Takeda.

59 NUFRIRacks on Movirack mobile bases for their headquarters in Catalonia.

63 MGAEfficient automated miniload warehouse with conventional racks.

71 LUIS SIMESThe operator equips their installations with a Pallet Shuttle system combined with conventional racks.

79 DHLNew logistics centre for DHL on the outskirts of Madrid.

87 PAVI-GROUPAUTOConveyors on several floors the axis of a picking installation.

95 HEMOSAMecalux equips the processing plant for Hemosa located in Madrid.

103 ZbYSZKOThe Polish manufacturer Zbyszko Company entrusts Mecalux with the connection of theproduction area with a new automated warehouse.

111 DAFSAA singular warehouse in choice surroundings.

127 HAVI LOGISTICSThe logistics services business relies on mobile bases to keep growing.

131 HEPCO MOTIONA special mobile racks with cantilevers solution installed in the United Kingdom.

135 IRON MONTAINEarthquakeproof racks in the Belt of Fire in the Pacific.

139 bENCO DENTALInterlake Mecalux speeds up the picking at Benco Dental.

146 OUR ExPERTS- Logistics software, the cloud is the

future.- Cladrack warehouses: when the racks

also support the building.- How to calculate the structure of

conventional pallet racking.

News I Mecalux

4 Best Practices

Safety in the warehouse is the foundation on which to develop an installations day-to-day work operations in an efficient and risk-free way. Therefore, Mecalux invests a signi-ficant part of its R&D resources to improve the security devices of all its products.

The latest innovation in this respect is the incorporation of a new junction system between uprights and beams in Mecalux pallet racks. This involves a connector with a locking system, developed to provide greater safety on the whole.

Its most outstanding contribution is the in-tegration of a safety locking mechanism in the actual connector, which results in two key advantages: on the one hand, it is im-possible for the safety device not to work or to lose it accidentally; while on the other

hand, once it is assembled it is not possible to remove it without the disassembly of the entire beam. This prevents accidental or deliberate manipulation of the connector with a blow by a forklift, for example thus avoiding the beam displacement and its possible consequences, such as the collapse of the load.

After successfully introducing this new locking system into installations set up in the United States, where Mecalux is a lea-der in the pallet racking market, it is now integrating it into all their projects within Europe.

They are the only manufacturer on the European continent to develop and incor-porate this breakthrough device into their storage solutions.

Keeping with its commitment to innovation and new technologies, Mecalux has com-pletely updated its e-commerce portal for Spain, offering a new design, new content and a better user experience.

The new Mecalux Shop specialises in the di-rect sale of metal shelving and related pro-ducts to warehouses, workshops, offices, archives, change rooms, etc., building on the extensive knowledge and experience of Mecalux within the sector.

Among the newly inte-grated enhancements are the following:

New categories and advanced search filters which allow you to easily find any product.

More information on each product: description of main product features, with more detailed technical information and more pictures.

Making a purchase is streamlined and speedy with a user friendly design.

Optimised design for smartphones and tablets.

More advantages for registered users: custom offers, easy personal data admin, order tracking, purchase history access, etc.

Another of the key points of Mecalux Shop is its Customer Service, with professionals who know the product and its applica-

Safe and sound: Mecalux introduces an innovative safety locking mechanism

Mecalux Shop: a new look, new clickable content

tions and that, if necessary, can help the user to choose between different storage solutions.

With this rejuvenation and the inclusion of better features and navigability, Mecalux has updated its online sales gateway witn the steady flow of technological breakthroughs in the field of e-commerce and in the shifts in user enthusiasm. The end user will benefit from the esase of use.

News I Mecalux

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As one of the leading companies in storage solutions for more than 50 years, Mecalux invests significant resources in the develop-ment of new products and the continuous improvement of those which are already part of their catalogue. It always aims to in-corporate the latest in technological inno-vations to deliver better profitability.

So, one of the solutions that has experien-ced the greatest amount of development is the semi-automated Pallet Shuttle. This compact system uses an electric shuttle instead of forklifts to handle pallets inside the storage channels (that can reach 40 m in depth), considerably reducing manoeu-vring times and helping to streamline stora-ge processes for all kinds of companies.

Among the new add-on innovations what stands out is the adoption of Wi-Fi techno-

Maxi-innovation for Mecaluxs semi-automated compact storage

logy, which mul-tiplies the system benefits: the forklift operator communi-cates the storage and removal orders to the shuttle using a control tablet with Wi-Fi connection, with an intuitive, user friendly interface.

Different key features:

Input and removal of pallets: conti-nuous or partial.

Inventory functionality. High speed: 90 m/min without load and

lifting time of 2 s. Lithium batteries that provide up to

10 h of autonomous use, with a quick connect battery compartment that elimi-nates the need for cables.

Pallet type selector (the shuttle sup-ports various sizes).

LIFO/FIFO setup to select the load ma-nagement strategy.

Position camera that facilitates the ope-rator in centralising the pallet on the rails (optional).

Security scanner: controls access to the rails while the shuttle is operating (optional).

Additional lock system that increases the clamping of the electric shuttle to the forklift blades.

Compatibility with Mecalux Easy WMS software, or other generic WMS used by the customer.

The lifting platform can receive pallets with buckling of up to 25 mm.

Tiltmeter: detects the incorrect position of the shuttle within the channel

Rescue: recovers the damaged shuttle from within the channel

The result is a new generation of Pallet Shuttle, which capitalises new technolo-gies to enhance the warehouse performan-ce and its profitability. It is an ideal solution for companies with a large volume of pallets per SKU and high loading and unloading activity.

News I Mecalux

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Mecalux has had a significant presence in Mexico for many years, with 8 sales offices. Being local, together with the experience of its team of professionals, has led nume-rous Mexican companies to rely on the Easy WMS Mecalux software, as a means to ma-nage and capitalise their storage processes.

Among the rollout Easy WMS projects sig-ned in Mexico in the past few months, the following stand out:

Grupo Acucola Mexicano (GB-PO). With Easy WMS they can au-tomate the management of one of its freezing chambers, controlling the entries from the production li-ne, and correct load management using FIFO and expeditions. Distribucin Hugoss. Within its improved processes, they ha-ve chosen the Easy WMS, which communicates with their SAP ERP, to speed up and streamline their picking processes, elimina-ting customer service errors.

Polioles. ELeader in the petrochemical industry. Its main objectives are the reduc-tion of costs and storage errors, to control warehouse operations, product traceabili-ty and cross-docking management.

Diseos Labor. With Easy WMS they can reconfigure their warehouse layout, the improved inventory visibility, handles

information real time via bar codes and radio frequency controls and, in general, automate warehouse processes.

Grupo Comrap. They use Easy WMS in two warehouses, designed and built by Mecalux, in Mexico DF to manage large scale picking and fulfil their commitment to offer excellent service to their customers.

Furthermore, two prestigious univer-sities, the Autonomous University of Queretaro (UTEQ) and the Auto-nomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEM) have acquired the field license for Easy WMS Basic for academic use in the Logistics degree professorship.

The three university courses delivered in 2015, within the framework of the Mecalux UPC classroom, were created through the collaborative agreement between the UPC (Universitat Politcnica de Catalunya), the ETSEIB (Escola Tcnica Superior dEnginyeria Industrial) of Barcelona and Mecalux, all being extremely reputable parties.

Due to success, this new training modules will be taught throughout 2016, which will give new students the opportunity to dee-pen their understanding of subjects such as the development of structures, robotics and the automation of storage facilities.

The objective of the UPC Mecalux Aula is to train up tomorrows professionals and provide them with the tools necessary to make advances in R&D&I within the logis-tics industry. To this end, Mecalux offers scholarships covering course fees for UPC masters students, which fulfil the entry

Success, innovation & automation: the Mecalux UPC classroom offers new courses in breakthrough logistics systems in 2016

requirements, in addition to putting the Mecalux technological centres at their dis-posal and offering them the possibility of starting their career in the company.

New courses are scheduled to start in March of 2016, with 30 lecture hours, at the Mecalux UPC classroom premises.

Mecalux and the UPCAs a company that bases its leadership on technological innovation, Mecalux has for years been committed to fostering this company-University relationship, collabo- rating with the UPC and in particular with the ETSEIB, since 1979. All this through the Department of Material Resistance (LERMA), with which it has developed an Experimental Analysis of Characterisa-tions program and another of Research and Development.

Along these lines, the two entities have promoted the creation the Mecalux UPC

Aula, as a means of consolidating long-term collaboration in R&D&I activities and the transfer of research results and scien-tific dissemination within integral logistics related topics.

For more information and to register contact: http://aulamecalux.upc.edu/E-mail: [email protected]

Mecalux Easy Warehouse Management Software: a blockbuster in Mexico

Visit the Mecalux Mexico stand in the upcoming industry fairs at: Logistic Summit & Expo, Mxico DF, on April 6th and 7th, 2016.Expopack, Mxico DF, from May 17th to 20th, 2016.

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News I Our customers

Best Practices

In recent months, the markets of Argenti-na and Peru have opted for the compact storage system Pallet Shuttle by Mecalux. This solution incorporates numerous inno-vations to streamline the processes of the entry and exit of goods in the warehouse. It also provides great storage capacity, thanks to an electric shuttle that loads and unloads pallets in the interior of the racks, moving autonomously along rails.

Among the projects recently carried out in these countries, two constructions, in parti-cular, stand out that have combined the be-nefits of clad-rack warehouses with those containing Pallet Shuttle racks.

In Argentina, Granja Tres Arroyos, one of the major producers and exporters of fro-zen chicken, has chosen this solution when building their new frozen cold-storage. The combination of a clad-rack warehouse with the Pallet Shuttle system is particularly re-commended in cold-storage, although, the building is not of great height. In addition to lowering manoeuvring times, it offers a high storage capacity that reduces the vo-lumetric area to be kept cool, resulting in energy cost savings.

On the other hand, the Mecalux Peru team has completed the construction of another clad-rack warehouse with Pallet Shuttle for Medifarma, one of the top 5 pharmaceuti-cal laboratories in Peru. In this project, gi-ven the diversity of the products marketed, the versatility of the system proved essen-tial, while also increasing the number of cy-cles per hour compared to a conventional system.

In both cases, it is worth noting that although these clad-rack warehouses are not very tall, they have also been the most profitable option for both companies. This is because the storage channels were cons-tructed to the depth which was strictly ne-

Logistics chain innovation in Argentina and Peru: clad-rack warehouses with Pallet Shuttle to be built

cessary, calculated according to their requi-red functionality.

The goal is to put new technologies and approaches within reach all kinds of com-panies, to multiply the productivity and pro-fitability of storage installations, achieving maximum performance within the logistics chain.

Mecalux, in their effort to provide up clo-se and personal service to its customers, are present in Argentina with two sales offices in Buenos Aires and a 21,000 m2 production centre, while there is also a delegation in Lima, Peru. Overall, the strength of the cus-tomer support is second to none.

Close up of the Granja Tres Arroyos warehouse in Argentina

Close up of the Mediafarma warehouse

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All in the family: Mecalux expands the Familia Group warehouse in Colombia

Familia Group, a company specialising in personal care and hygiene products, will expand its current clad-rack warehouse to reach a capacity of more than 16,000 pallets.

In 2011, Mecalux erected Family Group one of the first automated warehouses within Co-lombia. The installation, with a capacity for 7,416 pallets and 31.2 m high, is managed by three stacker cranes.

A few years later, the company has again cho-sen Mecalux to execute the Cjica warehouse expansion. The objective: to reach 34.4 m in height, increase capacity to include another 9,480 pallets, and install an additional three stacker cranes. Moreover, recirculation is set up that allows both the management of inputs from outside sources and internal production, and also direct dispatch from the warehouse. The warehouse management system, Easy WMS software, implemented by Mecalux will also be supplied.

With this expansion, the Family Group ware-house will achieve greater inputs and outputs, bringing it to the forefront of logistics within the tissue and the personal hygiene sector.

aykurs, the biggest producer of Turkish tea, new clad-rack warehouse in Iyidere (Turkey) will be more than 40 m high and almost 160 m long.

Mecalux will provide a large, single aisle, automated warehouse served by three single-column stacker cranes and aided by Pallet Shuttle that are responsible for transporting 800 x 1200 x 2600 mm sized pallets with a maximum weight of 600 kg each.

In order to optimize accessibility to loca-tions, Mecalux has developed a control system and safe passageways that allow the stacker cranes to enter the annex zones. This is all controlled by the ware-house management system Easy WMS and the Galileo control software.

Mecalux will build aykur a clad-rack warehouse with a capacity for more than 29,000 pallets

In addition, input of goods will be done at the side the warehouse via three raised overpasses that connect the warehouse with the docking area. The elevated over-passes allow for workspace savings so that the ground floor remains completely available.

aykur, which opened its first tea factory in 1947, produces 133,000 tons of tea an-nually in 46 different factories, making it the largest tea producer in Turkey and one of the most important worldwide. This massive solution could only be properly set up using Mecaluxs extensive know-how.

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This company, specialised in the manu-facture and marketing of caps and clo-sures, will incorporate an automated and asymmetrical, four tiered ware-house into its Wiltz (Luxembourg) plant.

The warehouse, with a capacity for more than 5,000 pallets, will be managed by two stacker cranes and a Pallet Shuttle that will work with two types of pallets: 800 x 1,200 x 2,200 mm and 800 x 1,200 x 2,700 mm. The warehouse management system, Easy WMS, will also be supplied, tasked with managing all the centres own ope-rations. For the first time in its history, Easy WMS will be permanently connected to Axapta (Microsoft Dynamics AX), the ERP system that the client uses.

United Caps is a leader in the design and pro-duction of plastic caps and closures. With their headquarters in Luxembourg, this family business offers its innovative so-lutions throughout the world and has its own production plants in France, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain. The company, which had an an-nual turnover of 122.000.000 in 2015, employs more than 530 workers.

United Caps seals the deal: Mecalux to automate new warehouse

The very popular Brazilian company, specialised in the production of pre-cooked, frozen potato products, has entrusted Mecalux to design, ins-tall and launch a clad-rack automa-ted warehouse. This warehouse has the capacity of storing more than 33,000 pallets, 1,000 x 1,200 mm in size and each with a maximum weight of 1,120 kg.

The warehouse, which is more than 25 m high, has three twin-mast stacker cranes with Pallet Shuttle that allow for an input or output of 105 pallets/hour. Thus, the companys required throughputs are

Bem Brasil is keeping cool with clad-rack: Mecalux sets up automated storage in Brazil

attained. The stacker cranes, when work-ing in deep lanes, are supported by a Pallet Shuttle that is responsible for mo-ving the pallet up to the location designa-ted by the Mecalux Easy WMS software.

Additionally, in order to ensure the per-fect condition of the goods, Bem Brasils clad-rack frozen storage is expected to work at a temperature of -30 C.

Founded in 2006, Bem Brasil produces more than 100,000 tons of pre-cooked frozen fries a year. It has become the na-tional leader within the sector, and one of the most consumed brands within Brazil.

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The French company, dedicated to the technological agribusiness sector, will have an automated mainland ware-house for boxes with a capacity of more than 10,000 boxes built.

The miniload warehouse is comprised of two double depth aisles where a stacker crane will circulate and be tasked with executing the in-put and output of 400 x 600 mm sized boxes, each weighing a maximum of 50 kg. In the

Agrarian giant Gregoire Besson announces new automated miniload warehouse in France by Mecalux

header of the automated warehouse, three P&D stations are set up to prepare orders of smaller products. In addition, the installation will be equipped with six conventional pallet rack aisles with a capacity for 4,440 pallets and a cantilever rack for over-sized products.

Thanks to the different storage solutions provided by Mecalux, Gregoire Besson will optimise space and, at the same time, streamline order preparation.

Gregoire Besson, with almost 200 years ex-perience, is a leading French company in the manufacture of agricultural machines and in the implementation of technological so-lutions designed to optimise land produced resources. With a large representation worldwide, their ploughing machines are innovative, effi-cient, robust and adaptable to the characte-ristics of any type of arable land.

Home decors largest warehouse: Mecalux will equip Maisons du Monde with new installation

The new conventional pallet rack ware-house, of the French company speciali-sed in home decor, will be built within a 96,000 m logistical centre located in Saint-Martin-de-Crau, a town in the south of France.

Distrimag, the company responsible for dis-tributing products to customers of Maisons du Monde, has once again commissioned Mecalux with supplying a warehouse for pallets. Since 2007, Mecalux has built them

10 warehouses that are divided into 4 lo-gistics centres (Saint Martin, Fos Distriport, Feuillanne and Boussard) and that allow the storage of a total of 304,000 pallets. In this way, Distrimag commands 477,600 m2 of storage in strategic locations in the south of France, extending its firm grip on the de-coration market.

Founded in 1990 by Xavier Marie, Maisons du Monde has 260 shops spread throughout France, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzer-land, Germany and Belgium, and which em-ploy more than 4,500 workers. The Group has more than 40,000 high-quality pro-ducts, making it one of the leading compa-nies in home decor in France.

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The new automated warehouse, to be built in the Polish town of Zary can store more than 20,000 pallets, or 2.9 million square meters of finished product.

Kronopol, one of the worlds leading pro-ducers in wooden material manufacturing, has commissioned Mecalux to construct its new automated warehouse for pallets, where the floor panels fabricated by the

company will be depo-sited. The warehouse, composed of four aisles with double depth racks, measures 30.3 m high, 32.9 m wide and 89.3 m long. In each aisle a stac-ker crane will circulate that is able to move 840 x 1,410 x 1,200 mm pallets, with a maximum weight of 1,075 kg each.

This installation, which is scheduled for comple-tion in the third quarter

Kronopol goes automated: Mecalux constructs custom warehouse for timber products

of 2016, was the Kronopol organisations most substantial investment in 2015. Its construction, apart from increasing storage capacity by maximising available space, will give the company a series of advantages. Among these are complete automation, an increase in the loading and unloading speeds of vehicles, and the preclusion of damaged goods caused by forklift usage. In addition, the warehouse is also distinguis-hed by being environmentally friendly be-cause the solutions used will work via elec-tricity, which will eliminate the emission of gases.

The Polish company Kronopol, present in more than 50 countries, has been part of the Swiss Krono Group holding company since 1994. Throughout this process, the firm has become a worldwide leader in their sector, thanks to the quality and va-riety of their timber products earmarked for the manufacture of interior finishings and furniture.

This renowned Spanish food and be-verage company has entrusted Meca-lux in the semi-automation of trans-port and delivery processes of Leche Pascual, one of its leading brands, in its packaging centre located in Gurb (Barcelona).

After a thorough study, the technical team at Mecalux opted for the installation of two automatic conveyor circuits, one on each floor of the facility, and a lift which connects the two levels. Therefore, they get the strea-mlining of product throughput and the best use of available space on the warehouses first floor.

The ground floor conveyor circuits will move pallets from the end of the production area

to three possible destinations: the drive-in racks situated on the same floor, the dis-patch area, or the storage-ready area on the first floor.

On the other hand, the conveyor circuit de-signed for this upper floor will be reversible, so that it can be used for both inputs and outputs of pallets. The maximisation of this space will make it possible for the Catalan Pascual plant to dispense with external ware-houses, with subsequent cost and time sa-vings in the transport of goods between dis-tant warehouses.

In addition to the lift which connects the two levels of the warehouse, they complement the equipment with a pallet stacker and a pa-llet unstacker.

All movements of the equipment will be monitored by the Mecalux Galileo con-trol software, which is in communication with the warehouse management soft-ware currently used by the company in this installation.

To sum up, the project that Mecalux will set up in the upcoming months in the Gurb packaging centre will provide Qualidad Pascual with greater agility and accuracy in product throughput and dispatches. This is all part of the groups commitment to offer-ing excellent quality service, and the con-tinuous improvement of both its products and processes.

Throughput conveyed and supersized: Quality Pascual and Mecalux collaborate on new conveyor system in Barcelona

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Founded in 1983 by Jesus Gasca, STUA in one of the most internationally recog-nized Spanish contemporary furniture design companies. Recently, its opera-tions moved to a new facility in Astiga-rraga (Guipzcoa) in order to boost con-tinuous growth.

After assessing various options for the imple-mentation of a storage system that best re- solved their needs, STUA finally chose the project submitted by Mecalux, due to the confidence that being made in Spain and their extensive experience conveys.

STUAs objectives are to gain perfect con-trol of both their products and deliveries to any part of the world, in addition to maximi-se storage capacity. To fulfil these require-ments, Mecalux has planned out a solution consisting of an automated clad-rack ware-house annex to the production building that stands out for its slenderness, since it has had to adapt to some unusual measurements: 80 m long, 25 m high and only 9 m wide.

The automatic warehouse is made up of an aisle where a single-mast stacker crane circulates, which serves the double depth racks located on both sides. The racking has 10 levels of different heights in order to locate various sized load units some larger than usual given the characteristics of the product. The inputs and outputs of the automated warehouse have been dealt with a circuit of conveyors.

Last but not least, to manage all warehouse processes, Mecalux will implement its Easy WMS warehouse management software, which will allow the full control STUA stock and real-time inventory, while also optimi-sing and coordinating product throughput, from its entry into the warehouse to its dis-patch to the end customer.

The new automated clad-rack warehouse will provide STUA with better efficiency and pro-fitability in their logistics operations. This will, in turn, give them a competitive advantage in their job of innovating and promoting Spanish design, which was recognized in 2008 with the National Prize for Innovation and Design.

Design and efficiency go hand in hand: a new automated clad-rack warehouse designed by Mecalux for STUA

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Case study: Hayat Kimya

Tallest warehouse in Europe constructed: earthquake prone area in Turkey not an issue for Mecalux and its partner Hayat Kimya

Location: Turkey

Hayat Kimya is the leading chemical company in the Turkish and Eurasian market in the manufacture of cleaning and hygiene products. They entrusted Mecalux in the construction of a spectacular 12,500 m2, 46 m tall automated logistics centre in the city of Izmit (Turkey).

They were supplied with a plan that included the warehouse management system Mecalux Easy WMS, responsible for ma-naging all the centres activities.

The solution implemented for Hayat Kimya has become a global benchmark for auto-mated clad-rack warehouses, showcasing Mecaluxs professional fortitude and skill.

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Case Study I Hayat Kimya

Who is Hayat Kimya?Founded in 1937, Hayat Kimya is the lead-ing chemical company in the Turkish, Asian and Middle Eastern market for cleaning and hygiene products.

The needs of Hayat KimyaThe huge growth experienced by Hayat had obliged them to distribute goods be-tween several warehouses located near di-fferent production centres, which involv-ed high logistical costs that could increase over the years.

Faced with this situation and seeking to re-duce production costs, Hayat Kimya de-cided to build a single warehouse with a minimum storage capacity of 150,000 pal-lets and in which to undertake picking functions.

In addition, and in order to save on trans-port costs, they thought of putting it in a space available in their largest facility, equal distance from three of their most im-portant plants and near a fourth high pro-duction site.

In the two images on this page the warehouses location in relation to the factories and to the connecting overpasses can be seen:

1. Logistics centre

2. Tissue factory 1

3. Tissue factory 2

4. Hygiene factory 1

5. Hygiene factory

6. Detergent factory

7. Tissue input overpass 2

8. Tissue input overpass 1

9. Hygiene input overpass

The company has twelve brands distributed in three sectors: household care, hygiene products and tissues

At present, Hayat Kimya is the seventh largest manufacturer in Europe in its sector, having more than 5,200 employees and reaching all its consumers through an export network which covers 101 countries.

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The solution

Taking into account the above premises and the data provided by Hayat Kimya, Mecalux worked from the outset in the de-sign and construction of a warehouse with the following features:

- Automated clad-rack warehouse with a capacity for 161,000 pallets.

- Four raised overpasses above the la-nes inside the installation that connect the factories and the main conveyor cir-cuit.

- A ground floor dedicated almost exclu-sively to dispatches, with the exception of two multipurpose docks and a dock fitted with an automated unloading sys-tem intended for the receipt of merchan-dise from other factories.

- First floor used exclusively for offices and other services.

- Second floor reserved entirely for pick-ing.

- On the third floor is where all inputs take place in the warehouse from the factories that are located in the complex, as well as the outputs intended for pic-king areas.

- Wide manoeuvring area and loading/unloading of trucks, with 21 docks.

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For the design of the whole package that makes up the logistics centre, operative details were meticulously taken care of, trying to achieve not only the goals in the initial specifications of required flows, but that were also the best

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Map data 2015 Google

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The warehouseThe size of the warehouse is 120 m long x 105 m wide and 46 m tall, with a total ca-pacity that exceeds 161,000 pallets that are 800 x 1200 mm in size and weigh a maximum 700 kg each.

The construction system is self-support-ing, that is to say the racks, in addition to storing goods, have additional structures on which sheet clad panels are attached to that make up the building. This forms a complete unit that is the warehouse.

The racks must support their own weight, the pallets stored, the wind pressure, han-dling equipment, the seismic activity on the basis of the coefficient indicated at the construction site and the weight of snow that conforms to the regulations.

The Hayat Kimya warehouse consists of 15 aisles with double-depth racks placed on both sides and is 24 load levels high. In each aisle a 45 m high stacker crane was set up that is responsible for the move-ments within the warehouse, from the re-ception area to product locations.

Each stacker crane is equipped with a double cradle that allows two pallets to be moved at a time and with single-mast construction, something unusual for a warehouse of this height. The main-tenance of the stacker cranes is carried out on the side that coincides with the conve-yor circuit.

It is interesting to point out that in each of the 24 load levels that integrate rack bays, three pallets in the first position and three other pallets in the second are stor-ed. This is very difficult to achieve in a tall warehouse which is located, as explained below, in an area with such a high rate of seismic activity.

In this image the loading docks and the offices located on the bottom floor of the warehouse can be seen.

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The final solution was the construction of a huge 12.500 m2 logistics centre, with a 46 m tall, clad-rack warehouse, readied

to house up to 161,000 pallets

The warehouse itself is an enclosed box in which all passages between the inside and the outside connection floor are done through airlocks that help maintain the atmosphere required by the fire protection system.

This system (inerting) works by reducing the oxygen in the interiors air, to an atmospheric level of 14%, at which point combustion is no longer possible. A piece of equipment controls the oxygen levels in the air and adds nitrogen until reaching the percentage that has been previously programmed.

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Major construction challenge:its location The city of Izmit is located at the beginning of the Northern Anatolian fault line, which runs along the upper zone of the peninsu-la and which makes up the greater part of Turkeys territory. This stretch, parallel to the Black Sea, also coincides with the fault line that crosses the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus Strait.

To build a warehouse of these dimensions in a place with such a high rate of earth-quakes, with a height of more than 45 m and with stacker cranes prepared to move two pallets at a time and operate in double-depth racks, was a challenge never before surpassed by Mecalux. Furthermore, the warehouse was built in an area exposed

Izmit

Anatolia

African Plate

Arabian Plate

Eurasian Plate

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to the wind and where snowfall, although not frequent, can be abundant when it does occur.

With all these constraints, only one com-pany with the experience and quality of Mecalux was able to build a warehouse on this scale.

By its particularities, this logistics centre could not be built with the traditional cold-formed profiles. Nor was it possible to do so with a structure of standard hot rolled profiles, due to the accuracy of as-sembly that this installation required was extremely high.

The solution provided by Mecaluxs tech-nical team was to combine the two con-

The main difficulty Mecalux faced was the existence of a major earthquake zone right

where Hayat Kimya wanted to build its upcoming central warehouse

structive options. The first to conform all racks, and the second to complete the construction of a vertical reticulate struc-ture coupled to the racks.

The objective was to absorb all the hori-zontal dynamic forces, mainly those of a longitudinal direction, which is the least rigid part of the racks.

The weight of this additional structure was more than 1,900 t (for the whole structure 10,000 t was used).

Both the dimensions and mode of opera-tion, as the buildings location, represent-ed a challenge for the Mecaluxs Structural Engineering department that had to deal with some extreme determinants.

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Upper floor: inputsAll warehouse inputs from the factories that are located on-premises take place on the third floor of Hayat Kimyas logistics centre. The accumulative automatic roller conveyors have been set up in the four overpasses connecting the warehouse to the factories.

All the factories have a conveyor circuit that is tasked with the input of the pal-lets into the system after checking both its size and its weight. Only then will they ensure that the pallets that arrive to the warehouse do so in good condition.

In each overpass two lifts were placed, one in each factorys entry points and an other at the end of each overpass, allowing goods to be lifted to transport height and subsequently to the third floor. At the same time, this floor has a triple electrified mo-norail circuit running both the external and internal movements of the warehouse.

On the third floor, alongside inputs, out-puts of goods that are lowered to the de-signated picking floor are also done via the elevators.

Every day an average of 6,500 pallets come into the warehouse, peaking at 400 pallets per hour

This image shows the upper floor where inputs into the warehouse are performed.

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Plant intended for the picking operationsThe second floor of Hayat Kimyas ware-house has been reserved for picking func-tions, dividing it into two areas:

Zone A: 118 live channels, each three pal-lets deep, are grouped into four blocks. Each block is serviced by a shuttle that automatically feeds the channels with the goods from the lifts.

This area is intended for A type products (high demand).

This image displays the floor set up for picking.

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Zone B: 174 pallet racking bays with 2 or 4 levels for pallets, including the ground floor, grouped into four double and two single rack alignments.

It has a total capacity of 500 pallets for picking placed directly on the floor and 1,050 reserve pallets on upper levels. This second area is allocated for the picking of B type products (medium demand).

In addition, the same racks were set up for levels of live box picking to give access to C type products (low demand).

The feeding of the pallet racks is perform-ed using front loading reach trucks that take the pallets from the warehouse in a specific exit, where one of the lifts has pre-viously deposited the pallets destined for this zone.

Picking is done manually by the opera-tors, aided by order fulfilment machines and a computer terminal that works via radio frequency.

When the orders are completed, they are taken to the baling area and, via two lifts, are sent to the ground floor to be dispatched

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Lower floor: dispatchesAll outputs designated for the dispatch area are carried out on the ground floor by electrified monorails. These automated transport units take the pallets from the conveyor output inside the warehouse, and the lifts that descend from the picking floor, and classify them into preloads.

The preloads are composed of 17 triple-channel groupings, which have a capacity to deep-store 11 pallets.

Each triple-channel group has a total capa-city of 33 pallets each that correspond to an order, route or an out-sourced means of transport (truck or sea container). This re-quest is prepared before loading the truck to avoid waiting time in goods being dis-patched from the warehouse.

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Every day an average of 7,000 pallets leave the warehouse, in other words, more than 200 truckloads

Depending on the means of transport used, and the agreements with companys individual customers, the merchandise is shipped on pallets (usually by truck) or in single, stacked boxes (sea container). For loading trucks generally light, front loading forklifts are used, since they are very agile and thus the most suitable.

The dispatch area has 17 docks only for loading, allowing the preparation of 17 transport vehicles at a time.

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Automatic unloadingIn addition, on the lower floor merchandise inputs from the detergent factory (located 2 km away) is also done.

The inputs take place on the ground floor via three reception docks, one of which is readied to automatically run unloading.

From here, the pallets pass, one by one, through the checkpoint and continue via the electrified monorails to the input stations located inside the warehouse that is found on this floor.

The automatic unloads accumulation device can receive all the pallets of a full truckload (trucks are set up with similar equipment)

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Easy WMS: the nerve centre of the logistics centreAll the operations of the logistics centre are governed by the warehouse management system Mecalux Easy WMS and its Galileo control software; tasked with controlling the computers that run the transport and the storage of goods tasks.

Easy WMS is also responsible for:- Management of goods input from its re-

ception at the docks.- Locate pallets in the warehouse using

rules previously parameterised, under the criteria of streamlining and maximum productivity.

- Manages the stock and the warehouse

layout (what and where the goods are).- Manages the warehouse outputs to the

picking and/or dispatch areas.- Manages and controls the picking opera-

tions through radio frequency terminals, guiding the operator in the tasks to be performed and the order to follow to op-timise routes.

- Allows the checking of the status of diffe-rent parts of the logistics centre, and the various equipment that operate in it, via query and reporting tools.

The Easy WMS (Warehouse Management Software) is in permanent and bi-direc-tional connection with Hayat Kimyas SAP ERP system.

ERPSAP

of Hayat

Mecalux Easy WMS

Electrified monorails and airlocksAll movements from the stations to the inside of the warehouse, both on the third floor and on the ground floor, are carried out by autonomous shuttles hung from electrified monorail that works at a speed of 100 meters per minute.

There are more than 900 meters of elec-trified monorail and 55 autonomous shut-tles in the entire installation that are able to move more than 850 pallets per hour

The warehouse should be as airtight as possible to avoid the entry of air currents

with a higher percentage of oxygen. This means that all the merchandise that enters and exits via the electrified monorails passes through a sealed area with double doors or airlocks that can never be opened at the same time.

These spots are often bottlenecks in an unattended installation consequently in this case, which work via electrified mo-norails and where there are also very high flow rates it was necessary to design se-veral accesses with triple inner shuttle ca-pacity. In other words, the shuttles of the electrified monorails pass three at a time.

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Advantages for Hayat Kimya

- High storage capacity: 161,000 pallets, 800 x 1200 mm in size and each weighing a maximum of 700 kg can be warehoused, in a surface area of 12,500 m2.

- Production cost savings: they have built four overpasses connecting the factories and the front of the warehouse. Each day an average of 6,500 pallets come into the warehouse, peaking at 400 pallets per hour.

- Total control of the automated warehouse: thanks to the Mecalux Easy WMS (Warehouse Management Software), Hayat Kimya controls all the processes and operations that take place inside the warehouse, from the moment the product leaves packaging lines until it is delivered.

- Remote support, remote maintenance: Mecalux is available to give technical support to Hayat Kimya 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Technical data

Length of the warehouse 120 m

Width of the warehouse 105 m

Height of the warehouse 46 m

Storage capacity 161,000 pallets

No. of storage aisles 15

No. of docks 24

No. of double cradle stacker cranes 15

Extraction system double-depth

Total electrified monorails > 900 linear metres

No. of shuttles in the installation 55

Total in overpasses > 420 linear metres

Total number of lifts 12

Total number of shuttles 4

Live channels for picking 118

Live preloads 17

Total live preload channels 51

Automatic unloading platform 1

Pallet input per day 6,500

Maximum pallet input per hour 400

Pallet output per day 7,000

Maximum pallet output per hour 450

Average truckloads issued per day > 200

Weight of the warehouse structure 10,000 t

For further information about this and other success stories look at our web www.mecalux.com/success-stories

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Case study: Gioseppo

Two million pairs of shoes: Mecalux builds Gioseppo a clad-rack solution for footwear

Location: Spain

The installation that Gioseppo has in Elche (Spain) is composed of an automated clad-rack warehouse for pallets, with live racks and a specific area for picking. The warehouse management system Mecalux Easy WMS was supplied, which is responsible for managing all the centres processes.

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Case Study I Gioseppo

3

2

1

Who is Gioseppo?Founded in 1991, Gioseppo is a family busi ness from the Elx region, dedicated to designing and marketing medium to high-end shoes for men, women and child.

After almost 25 years, Gioseppo is cur-rently a well-established brand whose products are marketed in more than 60 countries worldwide.

Its growth and track record has led Gioseppo to be included in the prestigious Forum for Renowned Spanish Brands, an alliance made up of companies and leading brands from their respective sectors.

Logistical needsThe objectives presented by Gioseppo to Mecalux were very specific: build a ware-house to increase its storage capacity to lo-cate all products coming from production, and automate the internal transport of goods with the purpose of managing a greater number of SKUs in the most effi-cient way possible.

With this, the company would take a quali-tative leap forward on a logistical level that could reduce production costs, while im-proving warehouse productivity

Based on these requirements, Mecalux de-signed an integrated solution in which au-tomated storage processes were more pro-fitable for Gioseppo.

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3

2

1

Construction needsAnother premise that Mecalux had to keep in mind was to pay careful attention to the public image of the company. It was of ut-most importance to limit the impact con-structing a clad-rack warehouse would have on the landscape of the Gioseppo Love Work Place logistics centre, an environmentally friendly space near the Mediterranean Sea.

Accordingly, the dimensions of the logistics centre could not exceed a certain height. So, it was necessary to find a solution that offered high storage capacity, while at the same time reducing the installations size.

It was paramount to reduce the impact constructing a clad-rack warehouse had on the landscape of Gioseppos Love Work Place logistics centre

Map data 2015* Google

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A clad-rack warehouse as a solution This 18.5 m high, 79 m long and 21.5 m wide clad-rack warehouse is composed of three aisles with double-deep racks on both sides, offering a storage capacity of 5,844 pallets, weighing 500 kg each. To be clad-rack means that the structure of the building is formed by the racks themselves, and that the outer cladding is supported and attached to them.

For structural calculations of clad-rack warehouses the following are taken into account: its own weight; the weight of the goods stored; the wind pressure both push and suction depending where it is built; the weight of the snow as indicated by the re-gulations; ramming by stacker cranes; and finally, the seismicity corresponding to the territory in which it is located.

Its purpose, as explained above, was two-fold: to optimise height in order to a chieve the largest possible storage capacity, and reduce landscape impact to preserve Gioseppos public image.

In each aisle a stacker crane circulates, hand ling the movements of the pallets from the conveyors at the end of the aisle to its designated location.

The use of stacker cranes helps increase productivity, at the same time decreasing the resources required to manipulate the goods.

Gioseppos clad-rack warehouse is distinctive because they excavated

a 6 meter deep trench where a large portion of the warehouse was

installed

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2

1

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Inputs and outputsThe inputs and outputs of palletised goods are done via a double shuttle that con-nects the main circuit of conveyors with the stor age aisles. The goods input area has an entry checkpoint, which is respon-sible for verifying that the size, weight, and condition of the pallets comply with the installations specifications.

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Picking functionsThis same transfer car is tasked with transfer- ring the pallets from the aisles to the P&D stations. The picking area is organised starting with six independent stations where operators take the boxes they need from the pallet and deposit them onto the box conveyor with the order sorter located on the back.

In addition, and in order to facilitate work, each picking station has a lift table so that the pallets are kept at the ideal height for each operator, improving its ergonomic position.

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The picking area has six independent

stations that are set up with a lift table

to improve ergonomic design

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Live racks for orders completed and consumer productsA block of 36 live rack channels has been installed both for storing orders prepared, as well as the stacks of idle pallets.

This 8 m high, 9.5 m long and 11 m deep warehouse has a storage capacity of 324 pallets 800 x 1,200 x 1,900 mm in size, each with a maximum weight of 400 kg. Each channel receives nine pallets.

The live racks are a compact storage sys-tem that allows maximum use of space and that are composed of roller channels on a slight incline. The pallets are inserted into the highest part of the rack and move via gravity to the lower end, being available to the operator. The pallet travel speed is con-trolled by roller brakes.

Therefore, this storage system is ideal for lowering handling times and exped-ites picking, increasing the installations productivity.

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Easy WMS: the nerve centre of the installationIn Gioseppos new warehouse the ware-house management system Mecalux Easy WMS was implemented to manage and coordinate the different automated oper-ations that take place within the installa-tion: the input and output of goods, stor-age, picking and dispatches.

This powerful management software has been customised to Gioseppos demands, being able to: locate pallets in the racks based on algorithms or parametrisable rules, manage outputs on the basis of tra-ceability and FIFO criteria, check the stock, run standard and custom labelling of con-tainers, group output orders in different modalities, etc.

Easy WMS (warehouse management soft-ware) provides a competitive advant age to Gioseppo, since it involves cost sav-ings, an improvement in service quality and consequently, maximising warehouse profitability.

In addition, Easy WMS is in perman-ent communication with the SAP ERP, Gioseppos main management system, ex-changing orders and the information that is essential for its overall management.

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Advantages for Gioseppo

- Increased storage capacity in a small space: Gioseppos clad-rack warehouse receives 5,844 pallets in a surface area of 1,700 m2, quadrupling the capacity of the previous warehouse.

- Limiting environmental impact: a 6 meter deep hole was excavated to obtain height and stor-age capacity, while the impact on the areas landscape was minimised.

- Cost savings: the automation of the clad-rack warehouse allows Gioseppo to increase efficiency and reduce personnel and logistics costs.

- Complete control: the Mecalux Easy WMS controls all the processes and operations that take place inside the warehouse.

Technical data

Automated Warehouse


Maximum weight per pallet 500 kg

Warehouse height 18.5 m

No. of stacker cranes 3

Type of stacker crane twin-mast

Fork type double-deep

Construction system self-supporting

Live racks

Storage capacity 324 pallets

Pallet size 800 x 1,200 mm


Warehouse height 8 m

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Case study: Yp

Wide prep area for orders: a key Mecalux design feature for Yp warehouse in So Paulo

Location: Brazil

Yp, a company dedicated to the development of cleaning products for the household and personal hygiene, has hired Mecalux to install a 29.5 m high automated clad-rack warehouse with a 24,168 pallet storage capacity in its logistical support centre in Amparo (So Paulo).

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Case study I Yp

Analysing the needs The main production centre of Yp is loca-ted in Amparo, a town close to the city of So Paulo. The growing needs of the com-pany required the construction of a large lo-gistics centre next to the production plants, from which they could offer comprehensive service, and at the same time reduce costs.

Mecalux installed the racks and structu-res of the warehouse, the automatic inter-nal handling equipment, the construction of a picking area and Mecalux Easy WMS software deployment, the warehouse management system which governs and controls the operations of the logistics centre.

The collaboration of Mecalux with Yp has been very close from the development phase of the project to its execution

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Case study I Yp

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Case study I Yp

Solution adopted: clad-rack warehouseThe most striking part of the project de-veloped by Mecalux is the installation of a self-supporting construction ware-house with a total capacity of 24,168 pallets, 1000 x 1200 mm in size, each with a weight of 1,300 kg.

Being clad-racked, the racks are a funda-mental part of the structure of the building and cladding is placed on them. In addition to its own weight, it must withstand the pallets stored, the force of the wind on the basis of the site characteristics, the pressure of the handling equipment and the seismic risk that corresponds to the zone in accordance with the countrys regulations.

The traditionally constructed buildings are adjacent to Yps logistics centre, just be-sides the automated warehouse, where available space has been set aside for futu-re expansion.

At present, this 29.5 m high, 107.5 m long and 49.5 m wide warehouse has a total

of eight storage aisles, with racks on both sides, of which five are double-depth and three single-depth.

Each aisle is set up with a twin-mast stac-ker crane that automatically performs the movements between locations and the main conveyor circuit, placed at the header of the warehouse.

Warehouse area reserved to expand the storage capacity of Yp

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Case study I Yp

The warehouse is distributed into the following areas, as can be seen in the layout:

A. Warehouse

B. Input stations

C. Main conveyor circuit

D. Direct outputs station

E. Picking channels

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Case study I Yp

The input of the pallets that go into the warehouse takes place via three stations readied with a gauge control and input checkpoint equipment. This space is locat-ed in the reception dock area for incoming goods, occupying one of the sides of the warehouse.

A conveyor with accumulation capacity transports them to the header, where the main conveyor circuits are placed.

A large percentage of the pallets that leave the warehouse do so designated for the picking area.

As of now, there are five groups of live channels outfitted and one for pallets placed on the floor of the warehouse.

Group of picking channels

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Case study I Yp

Each grouping contains 66 channels with a three pallet capacity. The feeding is per-formed via transfer cars that automatically move from specific positions of the hea-der to the live channels. The slight tilt with which channels are mounted allows the pallet to move by gravity to the closest free position in work aisles.

Among the five groups, there is a total of 330 channels with a capacity for 990 pallets; each channel is intended for a single SKU. Apart from that, there are 138 posi-tions for pallets placed on the floor, which are directly supplied by forklifts.

The consolidation of orders, once the pal-lets have already passed by the balers, is carried out in the area allocated to pre-loads close to the loading docks.

The logistics centre of Yp also features live racks to store consumer products that do not enter into the automated warehouse. This area, next to the docks, works as cross-docking, the live racks acting as a buffer.

Easy WMS: the nerve centre of the logistics centreEasy WMS is a powerful warehouse ma-nagement system developed by Mecalux with which you can manage all the ware-house needs, stepping in from when the goods are received till the order has been dispatched.

Among all the functions that Easy WMS is capable of performing, the most impor-tant are: the receipt and registration of the pallets that enter into the warehouse, the management of the locations on the basis of rules or parametrable algorithms, control of outputs in accordance with FIFO criteria and traceability, order preparation, consolidation, label issuing, documenta-tion prior to delivery, etc.

All of this with the major advantage of re-ducing the errors arising from manual ma-nagement to a minimum.

Furthermore, the Mecalux Easy WMS warehouse management software is con-tinuously and directly connected to the ERP of Yp, from which it receives the back- ground information and that reports the outputs executed.

The installation that Yp has in So Paulo, with a 24,168 pallet capacity, is expected to achieve a total flow of 200 pallets/hour in inputs and outputs

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Case study I Yp

Advantages for Yp

- High storage capacity: the clad-rack warehouse of Yp enables them to locate 24,168 pallets, 1,000 x 1,200 mm in size each with a weight of 1,300 kg, in a 5,200 m area.

- Cost savings: automation of the different storage processes helps Yp to boost efficiency while redu-cing operational costs.

- Flexibility for future growth: an area to the side of the automated warehouse has been prepared in order to expand storage capacity based on the future needs of the company.

- Complete control: thanks to the Mecalux Easy WMS, Yp controls all the processes and operations that take place inside the warehouse.

Technical data


Dimensions of the pallet 1,000 x 1,200 mm

Maximum weight per pallet 1,300 kg



Fork type single and double-depth

Live picking channels 330

Pallets in picking positions 1,128 pallets

No. of transfer cars 5

Preload on the floor

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Case study: Takeda

Turnkey pharmaceutics: automated warehouse by Mecalux for Japanese partner Takeda

Location: Poland

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Case Study I Takeda

A clad-rack warehouse as a solution When Takeda moved forward with the ex-pansion of its production centre, it was very clear that the warehouse should be auto-mated. This would allow for perfect con-trol of stored goods, in addition to being able to achieve the maximum permissible height, given that the space available for warehouse construction was limited.

The solution proposed by Mecalux was the construction of a 32.5 m high clad-rack warehouse located next to the manufac-t uring facilities and the bay assigned to delivery preloading. In this type of cons-

Who is Takeda?Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, with its headquarters in Osaka (Japan), is a global company specialising in the inves-t igation of pharmaceutical products. In the mid-twentieth century, it experienced massive growth, making it a world leader in the pharmaceutical industry and the larg est of its kind in Japan.

The company has a commercial pre sence in more than 70 countries, most signifi-cantly those in Asia, North America and Europe and emerging markets such as Latin America, Russia and China.

truction, the racks themselves make up the structure of the warehouse.

The installation consists of two aisles, in which two automatic stacker cranes move independently, handling the pallets stored in double-deep racks (two pallets in depth on each level). Thanks to the optimal space utilisation, the Takeda warehouse has a storage capacity of more than 6,500 pal-lets in a surface area of only 950 m2.

The warehouse was equipped with a HVAC system (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) which keeps the tempera-ture between 16 and 24 C and prevents the humidity level from exceeding 70%, which is something that could affect goods stored.

3D computer graphic of the Takeda clad-rack warehouse

Takeda, one of the most important pharmaceutical companies in the world, has entrusted Mecalux to build a turnkey warehouse in its new Lyszkowice production plant, near the Polish city of Lowicz.

The solution was to construct a temperature controlled, 32.5 m high clad-rack warehouse with a capacity to store more than 6,500 pallets. It is equipped with a cold storage system and an oxygen reduction system for fire prevention. They were also supplied with a warehouse management system, the Mecalux Easy WMS, which is responsible for managing all the centres processes.

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Case Study I Takeda

Warehouse aisle

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Case Study I Takeda

Outside view of the warehouse

14,505 mm

32,3

82 m

m

An innovative fire protection system (inerting) has also been used, which reduces the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere to 15% to avoid fires.

The pipes of the airs humidity and temper-ature control system have been installed above, targeting the aisles and placed in the free space between trusses in the fa-cility.

For structural calculations of clad-rack warehouses the following are taken into account: its own weight; the weight of the goods stored; the wind pressure both push and suction where it is built; the weight of the snow as indicated by the regulations; thrusts by stacker cranes; and finally, the seismicity corresponding to the territory where it is located.

Due to the slenderness of the building (14.5 m wide and 32.4 m high), a highly re-inforced structure was built. Also, many large sized anchorages have been placed with the aim of absorbing maximum wind pressure.

This 32.5 meter high clad-rack warehouse has a storage capacity of 6,584 pallets, 800 x 1200 mm in size, with a maximum weight of 800 kg

Layout: elevation, floor and profile of the Takeda warehouse

65657 mm

1980

0

85,657 mm

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Case Study I Takeda

Cooling tube Reinforced racks

Twin-mast stacker crane

65657 mm

1980

0

19,8

00

mm

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Case Study I Takeda

Inputs and outputs are practically unified and are constructed very simply, they are suitable for forklifts and stackers use. The entry conveyor has a checkpoint, which ensures top condition of all the pallets that are put into the automated warehouse.

The connection with the inside of the warehouse is done using a double convey- or circuit (inputs and outputs) that pas-ses through doors with double vertical screens.

The space between the two screens amounts to what is needed for a single pa-llet, being that the system sends alterna-ting open and close signals, limiting tem-perature changes inside.

In order to avoid capacity loss, a superior platform was set up for doing secure main-tenance with one access per aisle.

Entry and exit of the warehouse

Main conveyor circuit

The stacker cranes are double-mast and incorporate a maintenance cabin, which is located on the lifting cradle itself

Entry and exit of the warehouse

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Case Study I Takeda

Easy WMS: The management, synchronisation and control of the entire warehouse, includ-ing parts that interact with the mainte-nance equipment, work thanks to the Mecalux Easy WMS (Warehouse Manage-ment Software).

The main functions of Easy WMS are:

- Receiving and recording the pallets that come into the warehouse.

- Pallet location in the racks based on algo-rithms or parametrical rules.

- Management of outputs based on FIFO criteria and traceability.

- Via the Galileo software, all movements of the mechanical parts run and optimi-sed the internal routes.

- Connection to the warehouse door control program so that it acts automatically.

In addition, Easy WMS is in constant com-munication with the SAP ERP, Takedas main management system, exchanging orders and information that is essential to its overall management.

Plants maintenance access

Maintenance access

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Case Study I Takeda

Turnkey warehouseTakeda wanted all development and cons-truction phases of the warehouse, inclu-ding the supply of the software needed to properly manage all internal operations, carried out by a single company.

That is why Mecalux was commissioned to run the turnkey project from beginning to end.

Stages of warehouse implementation:

- Land preparation via pilings: due to the low bearing capacity of the soil, and the large static demands, a deep founda-tion was made on pilings.

- Installation of a reinforced concrete foundation slab: first a reinforced top and bottom was built with steel rods, and subsequently the ground was filled with concrete.

- Finish: the foundation was finished and hardened with the objective of obtaining dust free paving.

- Rack assembly: regarding clad-rack warehouse, the racks themselves make up the actual structure.

- Assembly of warehouse cladding: in clad-rack warehouses wall panelling and sandwich type roofs are fastened directly to the rack structure. In Takedas case, and having used an inerting system, it was necessary for the outside cladding to be as watertight as possible.

- Introduction of maintenance teams: conveyors and stacker cranes were assembled inside the warehouse.

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Case Study I Takeda

- Installation of the inerting system: implementation of a fire protection sys-tem that allows you to inject nitrogen in-to the warehouse so that the oxygen con-centration is reduced to less than 15%.

- Installing the HVAC air conditioning system: it controls the temperature that should be maintained between 16 and 24 C.

- Assembly of the electrical and light-ning protection systems.

- Assembly of the drainage system.

- Airlock construction: the separation of the portion of the warehouse equipped with the inerting system to the adjoining building that work under normal envi-ronmental conditions.

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Case Study I Takeda

Advantages for Takeda

- High storage capacity in a small space: the clad-rack warehouse enables you to place 6,584, 800 x 1,200 mm sized pallets each weighing 800 kg in a surface area of 980 m2.

- Product security: pharmaceutical products stored by Takeda are protected and isolated thanks to the automatic warehouse installation. Only authorised people can access the warehouse.

- Turnkey warehouse: Mecalux was responsible for the development phases, the construction of the warehouse, the supply of storage, cooling, and fire safety systems, as well as the implementation of the WMS (Warehouse Management Software).

- Complete control: thanks to Mecalux Easy WMS, Takeda controls all the processes and operations that take place inside the warehouse, from the time the product leaves the packaging lines to its delivery.

Technical data

Warehouse capacity 6,584 pallets




Fork type double-deep

Height of the warehouse 32 m

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Case study: Nufri

Nufri has put its confidence in Mecalux yet again by installing Movirack mobile pallet racking in its headquarters in Catalonia

Location: Spain

Needs and the proposed solutionNufri handles around 400 million tons of fresh and processed materials, selling to more than 40 countries worldwide. To guarantee quality, personalized service, Nufri needed a warehouse in which it could access all its stored products in a straightforward manner, all the while maximizing surface area and the volume of the installations.

In response, Mecalux opted to install Movirack mobile pallet racks of 12 m high, converting it into one of the tallest solu-tions of this kind and perfectly adapting it to the needs presented by Nufri.

The warehouse is divided into two well-marked areas: the first, which is smaller in size, is set up to store products and packag ing at ambient temperature, while the remainder of the area is cold storage used to store extracts, juices and purees.

Mecalux supplied and installed a Movirack mobile racking system in Nufri, business leader in processing fresh fruits and vegetables with more than 40 years experience in the sector. This new warehouse in its logistics centre in Mollerussa (Lleida) allows the storage of more than 6,100 pallets.

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Case Study I Nufri

Ambient temperature areaIt is set up to supply production areas, from cylindrical containers of enormous dimen-sions, including the products necessary to complete its range of processing.

This area, with a storage capacity of 1,200 pallets that are 1,200 x 1,200 mm in size and have a maximum weight of 2,100 kg each, is available with seven mo-bile bases and two non-moving racks.

2

3

2

3

BLOCK 3BLOCK 1

BLOCK 2

Being located beside the cold storage allows combined supply, removal and sto-rage of processed goods, significantly opt-imising the internal movements inside the installation.

Providing for the future needs of the com-pany, an area has been set up where five more mobile pallet racks can be installed. To that end, the floor has been fitted from the beginning to facilitate possible pro-gressive growth.

Block 3: ambient temperature area

The utilization of Movirack mobile pallet racking provides the maximum installation streamlining

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Case Study I Nufri

Cold storageThere are a total of 31 double mobile ba-ses and four non-moving racks which give a storage capacity of 4,930 pallets 1,200 x 1,200 mm in size, and have a maximum weight of 2,100 kg each, which conser-ves processed materials at a controlled temperature.

The racks are arranged in two large blocks separated by a main gangway. Each block has a wide work aisle that opens up be-tween racks. To automatically open it, the operator must only push a button via the remote control.

For the purpose of ensuring the security of its operators and the installation in gene-ral, the Movirack system has the following devices: external optical safety barriers, longitudinal photocells placed on both sides of the bases, proximity sensors, pre-programmed activation protocols and emergency stop and reset buttons.

The forklifts that are used in the refrigerat-ed storage area are the retractable type that makes it possible to work in an aisle less than 3 m high. The last load level is plac ed at 10.6 m high, and the maximum load height would reach 12 m high.

The racks have mesh shelves in them for low strength pallets or those that are not standard size

Blocks 1 and 2: cold storage unit

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Case Study I Nufri

Technical data


Pallet size 1,200 x 1,200 mm

Maximum weigth per pallet 2,100 kg

No. of mobile bases 38

Rack height 10.6 m

Total height with load 12 m

Work aisle length 23 m

Warehouse temperature ambient / refrigerated

Advantages for the customer

- Storage capacity is increased using a Movirack mobile pallet rack system.

- Direct access to any pallet: the aisle opens up exactly where the goods are located.

- Products are maintained in optimal condition facilitated by the parking function, which keeps the racks slightly apart maintaining better air circulation.

- Flexibility for future expansion.

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Case study: MGA

MGA has an efficient automated miniload warehouse coupled with conventional pallet racking

Location: France

For the new logistics center located in Saint-Quentin Fallavier, a town close to the city of Lyon, MGA chose Mecalux as provider of all management and storage systems, including an automated miniload warehouse with a capacity of 15,872 boxes.

MGA is an important spare parts distributor with regional warehouses in different cities within France. The priority of the company is to offer express delivery to its customers, generally automobile replacement part wholesalers.

In this logistics center, Mecalux has in stalled an automated miniload warehouse with a

specific picking area and a warehouse for pallets placed on conventional type racks. It has also included the implementation of a Mecalux Easy WMS (warehouse management software), tasked with handling all operations, from the entry of goods till dispatch, previously passing through the storage and picking phases.

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Case Study I MGA

Warehouse interior

Connection between the warehouse and the picking area

Warehouse for pallets: A and bulky type product picking

Conventional pallet racksThe conventional pallet rack warehouse is intended for bulkier products and items with greater turnover (A type) placed upon pallets. Racks have two inferior levels to conduct direct picking from the pallets, while reserves are placed on superior levels.

This storage system is characterised by its simplicity and capacity to adapt itself to the needs of the company. In addition, conventional pallet racks make it possible to directly access each pallet, storing the maximum number of unit loads in a safe and organised way.

The miniload warehouseA miniload warehouse with four aisles, and two doubledeep racks (one per side), was installed, allowing storage of a total of 15,872 plastic euroboxes, 600 x 400 x 320 mm in size. The height of the racks is 12.3 m and the total admissible weight per box is 50 kg.

All medium and small sized products are located in the miniload warehouse, generally B and C type items. These products are handled by four stacker cranes, three picking stations and a replenishment station.

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Case Study I MGA

Four stacker cranes

The construction of the miniload warehouse was done in two phases, in accordance with the needs of MGA. The first included three storage aisles with three stacker cranes and three picking stations, while in the second they installed four aisles, set up a new stacker crane and completed the replenishment station.

If we analyse the parts that the installation is composed of, represented by the images on this page, you will see the following:A. An automated warehouseB. Automated warehouse conveyors C. Three picking stationsD. A replenishment station

The MGA miniload warehouse can store 15,872 plastic euroboxes

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Case Study I MGA

Two box extractions

Miniload with conveyors inside the warehouse

Doublemast stacker cranes were installed; the extraction system placed in the cradle is a double box and doubledeep, being capable of handling two boxes at a time.

The extractor is formed by a fork and two independently moving belts that allow them to interchangeably pick boxes from one or another side, first moving to the contrary side where you are going to make the second extraction.

The conveyor system has been sized to move great quantities of boxes that may coincide with times of higher demand, while the travel speed, and mainly the stacker cranes lifting speed, were adjusted to the characteristics of this warehouse.

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Case Study I MGA

Access doors to the stacker cranes

Interior of the stacker crane aisle

Cantilevered storage levels Rear area of the warehouse

In addition, a cantilevered structure has been made above the loading and unloading stations, managing to increase capacity by 320 more boxes.

In the rear, equipped with a large maintenance area, there are reference devices for the position of the stacker crane. The whole space is enclosed with mesh panels and safety doors that will individually disconnect the machines in case they are opened.

Thanks to the four stacker cranes and the high number of boxes that they operate with, MGA ensures the liquidity of the flow of movements

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Case Study I MGA

Main picking area circuit

Control computers and picking stations

Picking stationsThe enclosure where the main warehouse is located is independent of other buildings and, in particular, from the picking station, which was installed on the side of the warehouse.

The picking stations, in the shape of a U, are located terraced perpendicularly to the main conveyors.

These conveyors are comprised of a double circuit that allows both the recirculation of boxes, as well as the connection to the warehouse and the replenishment station. Moving boxes to either of the two main conveyors is direct, thus avoiding unnecessary movements.

Each station, with capacity for three boxes on hold plus the one which is being processed, is run by an operator, who in turn is able to prepare waves of six orders at the same time. To that end, there is a computer connected to the Mecalux Easy WMS (warehouse management software) and different support devices for picking. For example, put to light devices placed on top of the containers of each order, indicating

to the operator which order each item corresponds to.

On the pallets/containers of each order, the item location in the pallet racks has been previously introduced, that is to say, this same zone serves as an order consolidation area. In this way, fast and agile order preparation has been achieved.

Three picking stations, a replenishment station

and the consolidation area were set up

throughout the facility

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Case Study I MGA

Put to light device

Conveyors in the picking station

Easy WMSThe Mecalux Easy WMS is the nerve center that manages all the necessary functions for the general operations of any type of warehouse, regardless of its complexity.

Easy WMS (Warehouse Management System) controls: all the inbound proces

ses, the warehouse locations, stocks, location rules, storage and extraction, the pallets that have to go to picking stations, the picking itself, returns to the warehouse, etc. It is also able to analyze the state of distinct parts or areas via query and reporting tools, as well as the devices that operate in it.

Easy WMS is in bidirectional and permanent connection with the customers SAP ERP

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Case Study I MGA

Technical data

Storage capacity 15,872 boxes

Maximum weight per box 50 kg


Type of stacker crane double-mast

Extraction system double-deep,two boxes

Advantages for MGA

- Improved storage capacity: the MGA miniload warehouse offers a storage capacity of 15,872 boxes.

- Increased productivity: thanks to the high level of warehouse automatization, the speed of order preparation has increased.

- Perfect stock control: thanks to the Mecalux Easy WMS, the company MGA can manage all movements, processes and operations that take place within their warehouse.

Miniload warehouse height 12.3 m

Picking stations 3

Replenishment stations 1

Pallet capacity 1,480 pallets

Maximum weight per pallet 1,000 kg

71Best Practices

Case study: Lus Simes

Mecalux equips Lus Simes new installations in Portugal with Pallet Shuttle and conventional pallet racking

What is Lus Simes: what are its needs?Lus Simes is a comprehensive transport and logistics services operator that began operating in 1948 in the portuguese city of Loures.

The firm has operated in Spain for over 25 years, and is currently the market leader in trade flows between the two countries, with a fleet of 2,000 vehicles (owned and outsourced) and over 1,500 employees.

According to its storage facilities expansion and modernisation plan, the company commissioned Mecalux to equip two large, newly built sites, with almost 10,000 m2 of surface area each.

Lus Simes needed to speed up the flow of incoming and outgoing pallets in the warehouse while, at the same time, increasing storage capacity. This was needed to efficiently meet the demands of both existing and potential customers.

Location: Portugal

This warehouse, separated into two distinct areas and built under the multi-client concept, covers a surface area of 17,500 square metres and can supply more than 33,000 pallets.

Lus Simes performs all of its business-related activities from this installation, including storage and picking, mass and capillary distribution.

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Case Study I Lus Simes

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Seven double and one single conventional pallet racks were installed, along with two compact racking units with the Pallet Shuttle system. They feature six load levels and the capacity to deepstore 15 pallets per level.

The lower level of the conventional pallet racking was prepared to perform picking functions, because a high percentage of Lus Simess orders require it. Moreover, a spacious area was provided for subsequently consolidating the orders.

The docks, located on either side, have their own preloading channels on the ground; these allow access to the pallets from both sides, thus optimising truck loading.

The conventional pallet racking has the capacity for 10,386 pallets, and with the Pallet Shuttle system the capacity is 5,544.

Warehouse AMecaluxs proposed solutionAfter analysing all the operations, and Lus Simess needs and flows, Mecalux proposed a separate solution for each building, which are interconnected and share the same management and control centre.

Moreover, the new logistics centre has 34 loading and unloading docks, as well as three spacious order consolidation preloading areas.

Warehouse AIn Warehouse A, a semiautomatic compact Pallet Shuttle system combined with conventional racks was installed, giving rise to two distinct storage areas, each serv ed by reach trucks.

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Warehouse B

Warehouse BWarehouse B consists of twenty rows of singledeep conventional pallet racking enabling direct access to the merchandise with maximum flexibility. The rows of rack ing, which are 130 m long, are served via 10 storage aisles along which the reach truck runs.

The height layout can be seven, eight or nine levels, depending on the product to be stored and the unit load measurements, which may be Europallets (800 x 1,200 mm) or US pallets (1,000 x 1,200 mm).

Three transverse aisles cross the racking to facilitate the movement of operators; they can also be used as emergency es cape routes.

Because of their significant length, and in order to travel the shortest possible distance during maintenance tasks, eight loading docks with their own preloading area were set up at both ends of the warehouse.

Warehouse Bs total storage capacity is 19,503 pallets.

The combination of capacity and flexibility enables Lus Simes to offer its customers quality service and short delivery times, strengthening the firms position as a top provider of logistics services in the Iberian Peninsula

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Conventional pallet racking

Conventional pallet rackingThis storage system, which was installed in both warehouses, has two major advantages: direct access to any pallet, and the ability to devote the lower level to picking orders.

The machines used are highlift reach trucks that can operate in a 3metre wide aisle.

The last level of storage is 12 m high. To facilitate handling, avoid impacts and properly centre the pallets and/or forks, observation cameras were fitted on the upper part of the forklift.

Moreover, and as a safety precaution, protectors were fitt ed on all the rack uprights facing the aisles.

The WMS (warehouse management system), an essential element in these types of warehouses, enables chaotic storage to be used, achieving high occupancy of all locations

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Pallet Shuttle SystemMass market consumer products, which have a greater number of pallets per item, are stored with this highdensity storage system. The movements inside the rack are independent and follow the in structions that the operator transmits using a WiFi tablet; this significantly reduc es the need for loading and unloading goods.

Racking with the Pallet Shuttle